The moratorium was proposed in order to allow the commission time to examine the county’s wind energy development regulations and make changes to modernize them. The existing regulations were adopted in March 2009. The demand to look at the county regulations stems from a new potential wind energy development project called Rail Tie Wind Project.

Zoning/Planning Wyoming

A proposal to prohibit wind turbines from being installed within 5 miles of any neighboring properties received tentative approved by the Honolulu City Council Zoning Committee. The resolution is presented below and can be accessed at the document links on this page. City officials acknowledged the resolution could effectively eliminate future development of wind farms anywhere on Oahu. Councilwoman Heidi Tsuneyoshi introduced Resolution 19-305 in response to the outcry in the Kahuku community over the development of the Na Pua Makani wind-power project. AES Corp. has permits from the city to site eight 568-foot wind turbines.

Zoning/Planning Hawaii

Gage County’s Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing on possible wind farm rule changes, governing tower setback and noise limits. The commission voted 6-1 to move ahead with that step, hearing from a packed county board room during a public comment period, Tuesday night. Well over 100 people attended... in the county supervisors room, an adjoining room, the hallway outside and across the hall at the county clerk’s office.

Zoning/Planning Nebraska

The Honolulu City Council Zoning Committee approved the resolution last week banning installation of the windmills within 5 miles of neighboring properties, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Sunday. City officials warned the change would essentially eliminate future development of wind farms anywhere on Oahu. The resolution must be passed by the full city council before going into effect.

Zoning/Planning Hawaii

DTE filed written objections that the 328-foot height limit as measured from the tip of the vertical blade prevents the turbine from reaching wind resources. It said 500 feet is more typical in the state. The written presentation ...also claimed the regulations for setbacks made it impossible to site any wind turbines on the almost half of the township under a lease.

Zoning/Planning Michigan

After over two years of meetings and discussion, the Matteson Township Board on Wednesday night dealt a potential blow to DTE Energy’s plan to install wind turbines in the township.

Zoning/Planning Michigan

Towns, citizens, environmental groups, developers and state agencies have operated for almost a decade under Article 10 (the current siting law), so one wonders what changed now that the existing process is hitting its stride. Lord Acton’s quote comes to mind, “All power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” This is a power grab, pure and simple.

Zoning/Planning New York

The ordinance requires a setback of 1.25 miles from the property line of a non-leased parcel, which among other setbacks DTE finds excessive. “We are confident the cumulative effect of these setbacks will not leave any land availible for potential wind turbine siting,” he wrote.

Zoning/Planning Michigan

"While we understand their property rights, there's also a point where it affects our property. We also have rights on our property,"she said. "If they are too close to our property lines it inhibits our ability to build on our property. We all have different concerns. Mine is not having a tower 1,000-1,500 feet from my home, not my property line. That's too close." She brought up concerns about noise.

Zoning/Planning Nebraska

McInnes’s Jan. 30, 2020 letter to the Dartmouth Zoning Board of Appeals states that Brady Estates’ time to keep the land for a solar development is up. “Therefore, the Select Board concurrently opposes the present request by Brady Estates to amend the variance decision in order to modify the terms under which it can delay the conveyance of Parcel B,” the letter reads. The Select Board, the letter notes, intends to deliver a demand for execution of the deed “at or before the next hearing date.”

Zoning/Planning Massachusetts

Friends of Buchanan County argued wind power turbines made for a poor fit in a densely-populated county. It advocated a ban, but also gathered more than 700 signatures on petitions that called for a mile setback from property lines for commercial wind developments if the county did adopt regulations, a requirement which would have been difficult for any wind energy company to meet.

Zoning/Planning Missouri

The Buchanan County Planning and Zoning Commission proposed a total commercial ban for wind turbines in a meeting Wednesday night. This was proposed after discussions regarding potential restrictions, and what would be the setback for the wind turbines, which initially was between a half-mile and a mile.

Zoning/Planning Missouri

The purpose of the moratorium, as expressed by the residents during the Feb. 12 meeting, is to give the county a chance to evaluate and revise its wind energy regulations. The matter of wind regulations arose as residents found out about the Rail Tie Wind Project. Powered by a Houston-based renewable energy company named ConnectGen, the project will be located on private and state lands near U.S. Highway 287 outside of Tie Siding — if the project passes federal, state and county permitting processes.

Zoning/Planning Wyoming

Fifty concerned landowners showed up at the Albany Fire Station in Whiteside County on Feb. 10, sharing fears of loss of land values and quality of life when a wind farm is built in agricultural neighborhoods. Eric Smith has leased 225 acres between Kennedy, Stone, Archer, and Benson roads to Gipper Wind Farm, a division of Scout Clean Power LLC of Colorado. A tower has been constructed to determine if there is enough velocity to power 75-125 generators (turbines).

Zoning/Planning Illinois

Whistleblowers in the Campo band of Mission Indians claim that their tribal leadership pushed through approval of a massive wind project during an improperly noticed meeting. They have now collected enough signatures to overturn that approval with a revote.  But despite the Feb. 13th deadline to notify tribal members of a meeting to revote on the controversial project, several tribal members say they have not received any such notice.   

Impact on People Zoning/Planning California

“The Siting Board will meet to consider what appears to be a request by Invenergy for new rules governing Canisteo, Bluestone, Alle-Catt and other large-scale wind and solar projects operating or planned in New York,” Abraham said in an email to members of the groups. “It may be that rules will be changed regarding how local laws are applied,” Abraham said. The meeting will start at 9:45 a.m. Thursday.

Zoning/Planning New York

The town board voted 3-2 last month to void the town’s 2019 wind law, which officials said left the town’s 2007 wind law in effect. That law includes a 450-foot height requirement, while the developer of the proposed Alle-Catt Wind Farm, which would include turbines in Farmersville, wants to install 600-foot turbines. The 2020 Farmersville Wind Energy Facilities Local Law includes greater setbacks from homes and property lines — 3,000 feet to a mile, a lower turbine height and more restrictive noise requirements. According to the supervisor, it was modeled after a local law in Enfield, N.Y. that board members considered more protective.

Zoning/Planning New York

NextEra, a multi-billion-dollar corporation and their high paid attorneys in their full-time occupations have attempted to bribe and then to intimidate our city into discontinuing their fight to protect our beautiful town. I am disgusted with NextEra’s intimidation of our small community. Their accusations and threats of litigation are simply bullying tactics.

Zoning/Planning Kansas

On Thursday night, the ZBA rejected the special-use permit by a 5-1 vote after 17 nights of testimony from Tradewind Energy and opponents of the proposed Alta Winds Farm project for the 12,000-acre project in Barnett, Wapella and Clintonia townships. The permit will be forwarded to the county board but a date on when the board will consider the permit has not yet been announced.

Zoning/Planning Illinois

Myers Shearing said the 455-foot tip height was the smallest industrial turbine available. One of the prior objections of the planning board with the 600-foot height limit was that was not in keeping with the natural character of the county and would be visible far past the town line. The greater setbacks — 3,000 feet from a property line or residence and lower noise levels 42 dBA instead of 50 dBA under the old law. The 2019 law was 1.2 times tip height to a property line.

Zoning/Planning New York